Of Kings and Knights with Dragons and Fire
by mickytaka558
Summary: "Why did you save me?" he finally asks. Wakatoshi stops with his movements, his eyes lost in a spot of Tooru's shoulder. Tooru follows his gaze to check if there is something wrong, but finds nothing. Wakatoshi must be thinking, or choosing his words perhaps. But what is there to think about? He should know why he risked his life to save someone he never met before.
1. Escape through the Sky

Tooru doesn't know for how long he has been running.

The horse he was given is very good though, because it keeps running at full speed even though they have been out of the castle gates for hours now, and it doesn't slow down through the dense forest, not allowing itself to be distracted by the trees or the yelling of the army at his heels.

There are many soldiers behind him; way too many for just one man.

He must not get caught though, because he knows perfectly well what will happen if he does.

But it is hard to try to escape like this; he doesn't know the territory of this kingdom and he wasn't given any map - and even if he was, he would not have the time to even look at it, let along learn how to orientate himself. The snow covering everything around him doesn't make it any easier and the dread growing in his guts only makes him feel like he might just drop unconscious off his horse.

It takes every ounce of his body not to.

If Suguru manages to lay his hands on him again and bring him back into captivity, Tooru will not be killed. No, the King would never even think of ending his life. There will be a punishment however, and it will most certainly hurt. Everything he has done to him in the last five years is more than enough of a reason to believe so.

Even before he managed to slip out of the castle, when Suguru was fucking him mercilessly on his giant bed, with drugs and other substances administered to him by the maesters circulating in his veins, Tooru could only focus on the pain.

There are fresh cuts and bruises all over his body to prove it, along with dried and sticky remains of cum in and out of him, on his thighs and back, which he didn't have the time to clean up, that are now sticking to his clothes, tainting them and helping out the cold to pierce through the fabric and through his muscles right into his bones.

"Tooru-chan!"

The galloping of horses and the barking of the hunting dogs is getting louder. And yet, despite the noise and adrenaline and fear, Satori's voice echoes and reaches the fugitive's ears, so perfectly recognizable it makes Tooru stop to breathe for a moment.

Satori must have asked to be in the front line of the group.

Tooru doesn't need to be told to know that.

But he can't get distracted by thinking about it: he needs to keep being focused, to guide his horse through the foreign place without getting stuck. "Come on," he whispers and gently kicks the animal on its sides while gripping tighter on the leather reins.

Then, he is called again. "Tooru-chan!"

It comes out of nowhere and the pain it brings makes Tooru's senses black out for a moment. The arrow stabs his shoulder, and sinks in until the iron tip finally hits bone. Tooru whimpers, his voice stuck in the back of his throat as his upper body spasms.

But he can't give up, so he grits his teeth to ease his frustration and keeps going.

The darkness of the forest starts to fade slowly, broken by pale light beams coming from above, until the trees start to be less and less and Tooru realizes the forest is about to end. He exhales heavily when he finally exits it, but immediately his eyes widen when he spots his next obstacle, a steep and rocky downhill, with bushes and trees all over the place, all covered in thick white, making it hard for Tooru to spot the path to ride down.

It appears endless to him.

But ever since he was a child, Tooru was trained to become a good, a _great_ rider. He takes in a deep breath and urges the horse to go forward, and he can feel the animal tense underneath him, and he wants to hesitate too, consider a possible second option, but there is no time for that.

So he rocks his hips on the animal's back and it follows his will, galloping forward. The snow is much thicker when there are less trees, but those help Tooru out to figure his way down and see what's going on around him.

They are already a few dozens of meters down, when Tooru hears another horse neigh and stomp angrily at the edge where he was standing only minutes ago.

He doesn't look around at Satori and keeps going on, but at a certain point, right before he is about to disappear behind a more dense group of trees, his white horse lets out a scream, agitating and losing its balance. Tooru manages to glance back and sees another arrow, this time stabbing the tendon of the animal's leg and making them slip.

Tooru collapses on the ground, but the ice is slippery and he keeps going down, his horse behind him, on its side, and they both meet rocks and frozen branches, which hurt so badly they both let out inhuman sounds, but Tooru forces himself to quiet down at some point, too afraid that they might be too close and spotted.

"Go the usual way," Satori's voice resounds in the distance as Tooru falls.

* * *

" _Tooru-kun, now listen to me carefully."_

 _Tooru keeps his head low, hazel eyes lost in the long, dark-red silk trailing behind the woman walking in front of him. He doesn't look, but he listens._

 _She stops all of a sudden, turning around, and immediately Tooru feels gentle hands with long fingers cupping his face. Her thumb caresses gently the fresh, dark bruise blooming on his cheek, dangerously close to his eye. It is new and it stings, but Alisa knows not to press her fingertip against it too much._

" _I will prepare you a horse and help you get out of here."_

 _Tooru blinks, suddenly realizing she is talking to him and_ what _she just told him. Maybe his own ears are tricking him, or maybe he has just lost it."But the King... If he finds-"_

" _He won't," she interrupts, determination dominating her mismatched eyes. "At least not soon enough to catch you easily."_

 _At those words, Tooru finally dares to meet her gaze with his and presses his lips in a thin line, almost a frown, because he doesn't understand._

 _Her expression changes then, and she looks away when she sees that dark hazel, her determination now concealed by a hint of sadness or shame; Tooru isn't sure._

" _I still have to bring you to him, now. You will have to endure what he has in store for you, and after that he shall leave for today's meeting with the small council."_

 _Tooru licks his bloodied lip carefully._

" _I..."_

 _Alisa clicks with her tongue, almost angrily, but Tooru doesn't think it is directed at him. It doesn't seem so at least._

 _And he is right._

" _I am afraid I can't give you any guards though. You would be too noticeable that way, and I have no soldiers coming from Nekoma with me now. They will all arrive in a fortnight. And I don't trust Suguru's men, not even the ones in charge to protect me. Everything about you depends on how much you want your freedom back," she explains slowly, carefully, making sure Tooru understands every single word and hopes her Russian accent isn't too strong. She still isn't used to the common tongue, after all._

 _Tooru feels her hands slide from his chin, to his neck and then to his shoulders, and he can't help but feel fear overcome him._

 _How can he leave now? Where is he supposed to go in a land he has only ever seen once in his entire life, five years ago?_

 _Alisa tightens her grip on him, as if his thoughts were spoken out loud, and she offers him a reassuring smile. "You may have been locked in a cage for five years, but you are still a prince, Tooru-kun. A prince and an excellent rider."_

 _His kingdom, Aobajōsai might have been crushed, or, most likely, might be ruled by another, but nothing can change Tooru's blood. Nothing._

" _Promise me you will do your everything in your power to get away from here," she demands._

 _There is a long moment of silence between them, their bodies frozen._

 _Eventually, Tooru nods and lets out a heavy breath he forgot about and the next, short but gentle caress on his cheek makes his lips curve up as he leans into it for the briefest of moments. It makes it seem easier._

" _Let's go now, okay?"_

 _Toodu nods. "Yes."_

* * *

He ends up falling against a rock, but the impact is deadened by the thick layer of snow and Tooru doesn't hit his head. His wounded horse collapses far away from him, away from his legs and back, leaving his bones intact and he silently thanks the Gods. Unfortunately, the white melts underneath him, soaking his clothes and making the brown cloak he was given useless when protecting him by the cold.

He tries to recollect his mind and senses, tries to control them so he can stand up to go to check out his animal, to pull out the arrow and close the cut with some snow so they can ride on, but before he is able to even kneel, the beast neighs loudly, almost screaming again, before it gets up on its long legs and gallops away at a frantic pace.

"No!" Tooru yells, but the beast doesn't listen and leaves him alone in mere seconds.

When his body begins to shake, it is stronger than him and his will; his concentration starts to break as desperation begins to take over and the dread grows larger. He doesn't know what to do. Should he do anything? Maybe he should stay here, wait until the cold freezes the blood in his veins, until he falls asleep and never wakes up again. It would be a good way to go; way better than going back to being a prisoner of those men.

" _Promise me you will do everything in your power to get away from here."_

It takes some time, but Tooru manages to swallow the lump in his throat, and it hurts so much when he stands up. There is something wrong in his abdomen, uncomfortable, almost painful... He pays no attention to it. He proceeds to follow the path down to the valley, quickly, hiding himself behind trees and bushes and trying to make as less noise as possible, while also listening for any kind of it that might announce danger.

He decides not to try to remove or even touch the arrow stuck in his shoulder as he walks, even though he can barely stand it, but he has nothing to stop the bleeding and sew the torn flesh and skin with.

Dodging various obstacles proves to be quite hard, because he can't see properly as the strong, freezing wind makes his eyes burn, but he miraculously manages not to stumble onto anything. He reaches the valley rather quickly, in less than half an hour, or maybe it has been more... He isn't sure.

There are less trees here as well, but he supposes they can do just fine. It takes him about a hundred steps to step onto flat ground.

And his stomach drops.

Emptiness.

Everything he finds in front of him is an endless, snow-covered, _empty_ field. There is no place to hide, no shortcuts or other paths or even people that could help him, take him away. There is just plain _nothingness._

Soon, the barking of dogs can be heard again in the distance, and a dry sob escapes from Tooru's lips. Then comes the galloping and, ultimately, those loud voices.

Tooru wants to go back to where he came from, hide under a rock maybe, and just wait. He doesn't know what for, because that way the only option would be death, but he... He can't stop.

He launches himself forward, begging his legs to be strong enough to carry him far as fast as they can and to make it easier , he shoves off his cloak, remaining only in the light, white clothes he's always been forced to wear ever since he got to Suguru's castle, so thin his skin can be seen through it, especially now that it is getting wet.

He hopes their color will make him less recognizable from the distance.

But, lately, he has never been so lucky.

"There you are, Tooru-chan!"

Satori rides out of the forest at his side and Tooru immediately changes direction. After him, appear the others, one by one, on their strong horses, with dogs running around and chasing after Tooru as soon as they spot him. The men urge their animals to go faster, Satori leading them all with wide, green, wild eyes, focused on nothing else but his prey.

Tooru wants to scream, to ask, to _beg_ for help, but his voice is cut short by the lack of breath.

With every passing second, they are getting closer and everything in Tooru's body hurts so badly. His right leg begins to throb in pain and it feels like it might give out any second.

And it does.

Something cracks and Tooru finds himself falling into the snow, face first.

The sudden cold makes his muscles spasm uncontrollably, the tiredness accentuating the sting, and Tooru simply is not capable of reacting immediately. He tries to stand up, but his body just doesn't listen.

The horses are close now, three-hundred meters at most; Tooru feels hot tears spill on his frozen cheeks, the oh so dry and torn skin.

Hazel eyes spot his fingers, purple and swollen and he can't feel them at all.

He is about to get caught; he knows it. Any second now. Satori will lay his hands on him and, once they are back to the castle, Suguru will make all the people that went after him rape him and beat him up, until he is nothing more than a mess of quivering flesh and bones.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he finds himself wondering if Alisa will take care of him after that, or if Satori will take his place like he did before she was betrothed to Suguru.

It happens all of a sudden - Tooru believes his imagination is playing tricks on him: a large shadow is cast over them all, and a loud roar echoes through space, covering fully the noise coming from the army, which stays silent even after it is gone.

Tooru covers his head, whimpering and shaking, getting ready to be captured all over again.

But nothing happens.

A loud noise is heard as something heavy lands on the ground and then another roar echoes, even louder than the first. And then-

Tooru stops breathing, eyes wide even though his head is pressed against white.

 _Heat._

A burning heat spreads all over him, but it... It doesn't touch him. There are screams now, no more yelling and calling out to him.

Tooru finally dares to raise his head, and the first thing he sees is pitch black and when his eyes are finally able to focus on the figure, he spots scales and claws and horns and as he gradually takes in the figure, defining his limits with his mind, he finally begins to realize to what extent the greatness of the beast in front of him manifests.

The snow underneath him melts and soon, his knees meet grass.

* * *

" _Father, have you ever seen a dragon?" a young Tooru asks as he follows the King through the enormous library of their castle._

 _His father stops in his tracks and turns around to look at him, an elegant eyebrow raised, hazel eyes piercing. He doesn't reply for a while, just plainly observing Tooru's curious expression, studying it._

 _Until he licks his lips. "Why are you asking me this?"_

 _Tooru tilts his head to the side, holding tighter the book he took with himself from the shelves to read before he goes to sleep tonight. "Curiosity, I believe. There is no other reason."_

 _is father hums quietly, before looking away, somewhere between all the books set on the enormous table at the center of the room, although Tooru doesn't know where precisely and why._

" _Yes, I have," he finally answers, after another minute of silence. "I have seen plenty." Tooru blinks, immediately offering him his full attention. They resume their stroll and Tooru eagerly follows, waiting for more words to exit his King's mouth._

" _What I have seen, however, was nothing like what it was supposed to be. My grandfather used to tell me about almighty beasts with heads of the size of a carriage, bodies and wings so large they were able to swallow entire villages with their shadows, like the ones you will find drawn in that book of yours," he tells Tooru and the prince swallows the saliva flooding his mouth, wondering how his father could possibly know what he is going to read. He didn't show him the cover at all; besides, it looks just like all the other books in this room._

 _His father takes in a deep breath before continuing._

" _No, they were nothing like those, and were instead held captive with chains, which prevented them to fully grow, completely untamed and wild."_

 _Tooru carefully thinks about those words. "But I thought dragons couldn't be tamed anyway."_

 _His father shakes his head. "Wrong. They might not be turned into pets, but they can be trained and ridden. Unfortunately, these days, nobody has the guts to risk and try."_

 _Tooru doesn't fail to notice the frown plastered all over his father's face, eyes still not looking at him._

 _He dares to ask it anyway. "Why didn't you risk and try then?"_

 _This time, the King's daze is broken, and he ends up_ genuinely _laughing, which is an incredibly rare occasion. "I had, and still have, a kingdom to rule, Tooru. A dragon requires dedication and devotion; it ca not be put in second place to anyone or anything."_

 _The answer causes more questions to pop in Tooru's head, but he doesn't voice them. To be honest, this answer was_ not _what he was expecting, so he decides to end the conversation here in order to ponder over it some more later._

 _His father, however, speaks again._

" _There are no more healthy dragons. I'm sorry, Tooru, but you will never have the honor to see one in its full glory. There are no more brave men either; only cowards."_

 _Tooru barely holds back a heavy sigh, though disappointment irradiates through hie every pore._

 _He honestly hopes his father is wrong._

* * *

Tooru's eyes are burning, completely dry as all his tears evaporate into nothing. His body is shaking even though everything around him is melting with each second going by.

The dragon stands still, only about twenty meters away from Tooru and growls lowly. Tooru turns to look back from his lying position, and sees men and horses on fire, dogs whining with the ones who managed to stand back, while Satori is angrily trying to calm them down, while also struggling to control his own animal.

Then, the large, dark creature shifts on the grass and Tooru looks back at it, his mouth open and only letting out sobs to the extent where his throat begins to hurt badly.

Hazel eyes widen when the large head moves away to reveal a man in black armor, sitting behind its neck. Underneath him there is a giant saddle to which he also holds onto. Tooru hears him speak, in a foreign language apparently, because he can't understand a word, but the form reminds him of ancient languages his father used to speak sometimes.

He doesn't know what to do.

The dragon stares at him with bright red eyes and there is smoke coming out of his nostrils and it is hot enough to melt even the snow underneath the army's feet behind him.

Silence reigns, nothing moves.

Then, there is an umpteenth foreign word, a command perhaps, because the dragon lowers its head. It isn't the size of a carriage, no, but it is not really that far away from it. Tooru watches it move and if he weren't terrified, he would find it gorgeous.

"Come here."

Tooru blinks and looks at the source of the voice. The armored man is now standing on the saddle and the beast seems to grow impossibly still to allow him to do so. It takes a while for Tooru to realize that those words were directed at him.

"Don't you dare!" Satori's voice echoes in response, all over the field. Tooru gasps, his muscles involuntarily tensing, but he doesn't even spare him a glance. And so doesn't the unknown man. His bright eyes - Tooru swears he can see gold from where he is - keep staring at him.

And Tooru, despite his tiredness and pain shooting through every part of his body, finally finds the strength to stand up, very slowly and carefully. He is unstable on his legs, but he holds up.

"Come here," the man repeats in a deep voice and Tooru's body moves on its own before he can even give it a command. The sharp pain in his his shoulder is much strong enough and when he decides to take a peek at his abdomen, he notices a spreading stain of red on his white clothes.

But he keeps moving.

The dragon suddenly growls and Tooru freezes.

"Tooru! I swear I'm going to kill you if you don't come back here immediately!" Satori yells, and Tooru immediately understands that the beast's hostile gesture wasn't meant for him.

Satori gallops forward and that is when the brown-haired man feels panic build up again. He is almost touching this almighty creature and yet, Satori is still having none of it and is coming at him.

"Climb," Tooru hears from above him, but he feels weak and his senses have gotten dull ever since the pain of his wounds was increased by the warmth. He wants to go there, so he takes a step forward, but his right leg gives out like before and he collapses. His face meets the damp grass and melted snow and he can't believe his body is betraying him like this after the universe has finally given him a glint of hope.

The burning heat is back as the dragon attacks again, and Tooru can feel it more than ever. He doesn't hear screams this times.

He doesn't look back either.

He also fails to hear the noise of the metal of a black armor as it lands on the ground, nor the growling of the beast.

However, what he does feel is a strong hold on his shoulders, gently raising him up. The arrow is pulled out of him quickly, and the only thing he has the strength for is a soundless whimper and more tears, because the pain is consuming him and he can't even see anything, despite his eyes being open.

The man behind him doesn't seem fazed by his reaction, and instead takes him up, in a quite unusual position, with only an arm wrapped around Tooru's waist, allowing him to be bent over it as he raises him up from the grass. Tooru feels his consciousness slipping away from him, slowly. His eyelids have never been so heavy.

He blinks, telling himself to hold on because he wants to see what is about to happen to him. When his eyes are open again, they see scales, shiny and yet so dark, pitch black. In the back of his mind, he realizes the man is climbing onto the dragon with him.

"Who are you?" Tooru whispers, the pressure against his stomach not really allowing him to be louder. He barely recognizes his own voice, so low and raspy and shattered.

"It does not matter now."

Tooru closes his mouth and is about to close his eyes again, but then he feels himself being moved and maneuvered onto the saddle. He is forced to spread his legs and he barely holds back a whine, because the tear in his muscles is beyond agonizing. His muscles and tendons must be on fire by now.

"Please... Your name... I..."

Large hands guide Tooru's pale ones onto the saddle, onto which he grips with whatever little force he can muster. Some color is back on them and he can feel his fingers again.

He looks forward, and sees Satori pacing around on his horse, the other soldiers frozen, not wanting to listen. But then, who in their right mind would go against a dragon?

"Ushijima Wakatoshi."

A large cloak is thrown over Tooru's shoulders as the name is spoken. Tooru whimpers and tenses when the man, _Wakatoshi_ , sits behind him, their bodies pressed against each other on the saddle built for one. But he feels no danger now, so the tension dissolves as soon as the surprise does.

Tooru hears him say another incomprehensible word, and immediately the enormous beast is raising up, spreading its dark wings and charging forward, and despite his dizzy state, Tooru can feel its body move under the saddle.

And then it jumps, right over the army and it is so quick and swift that Tooru is about to collapse, but a large arm is soon wrapped around his waist and the hand presses against the open wound in his abdomen, and the pressure is a relief.

They are not landing after that jump, and instead raise higher and higher. It brings emptiness in Tooru's stomach and it is disarming, but Wakatoshi holds him against himself and despite the uncomfortable feeling of the sculpted metal against him that makes him shift a little bit further from the man as he leans forward, he is sure he will not fall.

They reach and incredible height in a minute or so, and Tooru's eyes widen, awakening from his sleepy state, as he is finally able to see everything: the castle, so far away from them he can barely believe he managed to run that far on his own, the endless forest and the cliff.

He turns his head and sees the few soldiers left becoming small ants he can barely distinguish, until they completely disappear under thick, gray clouds.

Snow is falling, but Tooru feels warm. The cloak helps a lot, and the heat irradiating from the scales of the dragon is something he had never thought he would experience in his life. It is a different kind of feeling, and he can't quite describe it.

When he was a child, Tooru would often think about the sky, the stars, the sun, the moon... He used to wonder what it would feel like to be there and see the world from afar.

At the age of twenty-one, beaten, battered and heavily wounded, Oikawa Tooru sees the world from above for the first time. And it is so beautiful he can barely breathe. Everything hurts and his mind is giving up on him, but he looks and admires, almost without blinking.

An endless expanse of white on the horizon is everything he sees before his world turns black.


	2. Wounds and Warmth

Tooru opens his eyes only to find himself up in the air, surrounded by an unknown, but at the same time pleasing warmth. He blinks a couple of times and wonders whether he is dead or not, because he doesn't remember the last time he has felt this way.

Then, the pain shoots through his whole body and he whimpers and groans, his body shaking.

He is definitely awake.

Death isn't supposed to hurt this much.

The strong hold against his waist tightens even more and he is pulled back against metal. His back is sore; there are surely marks on it already, although different than the ones he is used to.

"You are awake."

Tooru turns his head to the side, glancing at the man behind him, and he _remembers._

He wants to speak to him, but the strength to do so doesn't seem to be within him, so he closes his mouth. It is not like he has anything to say. He tries to think about everything but how he is feeling.

He grips the saddle harder and immediately proceeds to look around himself, wanting to understand where he is. The world is not white anymore, but green, which explains the overall mild temperature. And immediately Tooru knows they must be far from where Wakatoshi collected him.

His voice just doesn't want to come out if not in groans every now and then, as he shifts on the dragon's back, trying to look for a more comfortable position, but the lack of space just doesn't allow him to do so. His legs are in a pain he has never felt before; his right knee especially.

But despite how hurt he is, he still can't deny that the ride is magnificent. He sees everything; every forest, every lake, every river they fly over. In front of them, there is a large volcano and Tooru focuses on it. He has always read about them, but he has never seen one in his entire life; Aobajōsai is only made of forests, fertile fields and a few rivers, nothing more.

Tooru suddenly feels warm breath over his shoulder, the loose shirt he is wearing covering very little of that part of him – he wonders how he managed not to die from the cold – not really shielding his skin from the man's breath, and realizes that Wakatoshi's hands are all over him; one still holding the wound to prevent more blood from spilling out, the other one gripping the saddle with his ones, their fingers brushing ever so slightly.

They are getting closer to the volcano, and they have lowered quite a bit. Tooru doesn't understand what is about to happen until the dragon roars and immediately speeds up. He feels Wakatoshi's hold on him tighten even more as he tells him not to panic.

Tooru blinks and immediately they are changing direction and going right towards the large crater, and the beast lets itself fall right into it, its large wings not moving anymore.

Tooru gasps and wants to scream, because there is only darkness now and the fall is fast, but the only thing he is able to do is close his eyes and grit his teeth, his hands now both gripping at Wakatoshi's armored forearm.

When everything comes to a stop, Tooru opens his eyes and finds himself in a cave, a dark cave. He looks up and sees the crater bring the only source of light to it and he immediately breathes. The large wings of the beast are flapping again and Tooru feels his stomach drop all over again.

When they land, there is a weird noise and Tooru immediately looks down. His eyes widen as he notices the largest pile of gold and colorful gems he has ever seen in his life. His memory immediately goes to retrieve the moment when his father brought him into the secret chambers of their castle where all their coffers used to be. They used to have a lot of gold, sure, but never this much.

The dragon struggles to get its balance right, but eventually it stills and lets out a low growl.

Tooru's shoulders shake and he doesn't know what to do. But his leg is in pain, so he shifts slightly.

"Do not move," Wakatoshi speaks and Tooru immediately freezes, his gaze lowering on his hands, still gripping onto the man behind him.

He lets go.

"I will help you climb down," Wakatoshi tells him and the deep voice next to Tooru's ear makes him shiver. He nods.

Wakatoshi then moves behind him, his skilled hands gripping onto the quills on the beasts neck, which he uses as a leverage to get off the saddle and jump down. The gold coins underneath him move and make noise, but the beast doesn't seem to be fazed by it.

"Come," Wakatoshi says at a certain point, and Tooru finds him right where he landed, with spread arms, motioning for him to come down. Tooru bites his lip.

"Throw your right leg on this side and let yourself fall. I will take you before you fall."

Tooru hesitates, but as the dark knight doesn't move, he finally follows the instructions. Raising his right leg proves to be more difficult than planned, because it is heavy and doesn't move properly, but eventually he manages. He closes his eyes when he lets himself fall and when Wakatoshi's large arms wrap around him, he hisses in pain.

"I apologize," Wakatoshi mutters, before finally letting him stand.

The gold underneath him shines and he wants to move, but he doesn't know whether he is allowed or not to. Five years of punishments for every single thing he did have become more than enough of a reason for him to think before acting. Besides, he still doesn't know anything about this man.

Of course, as Wakatoshi lets go of his waist, the blood resumes to come out, staining the white fabric of his shirt even more.

Tooru curses.

"Are you able to walk?"

Tooru nods weakly, but he doesn't manage to take one proper step before he shakes his head. His back faces Wakatoshi and he doesn't turn around even when he feels loud slamming on the floor; one, two, three... Five loud slams of metal against metal and then he feels arms around his shoulders and legs, and he is raised up as if he weighted nothing. And the feeling is different.

Wakatoshi has removed his armor, he finds out. Nothing hard is sinking into his tender flesh and when he finally looks at him, Tooru finds him wearing plain, black clothes, very tight on his broad shoulders and chest from what he can see.

Wakatoshi walks away from the dragon, down the pile of treasure and Tooru just observes the place as he slowly discovers it.

They are in a giant cave, empty despite the place they are in. Tooru has read lots about extinct volcanoes, but he'd never thought they could become something like this. The place is lived in, because Tooru spots various items, such as candles, some ancient books, boxes of all kind, all organized neatly. There aren't many things, no, but they seem enough not to miss anything.

The candles' light is not very strong, but he supposes it is simply not enough to contrast the bright rays of the sun coming from the crater above them.

In the center of the cave, there is a large natural pool, full of water and Tooru's eyes spot steam coming out of it, revealing its high temperature.

He hopes it is possible to bathe in it.

He would really like to.

His body is still trembling slightly, despite Wakatoshi's heat and the cloak he is still wearing along with his clothes. Tooru only hopes his mind isn't playing tricks on him and that all this isn't just a mere dream full of hope that could shatter as soon as he wakes up.

Wakatoshi carries him close to the pool and then makes him stand there. Tooru would like to sit, but the thought of bending his legs isn't helpful.

"I must treat your wounds now. You have already lost too much blood."

Tooru licks his lips and finally manages to open his mouth to speak. "How do you know how much blood I've lost?" It is a stupid question, because it is obvious he has lost much. But for some reason, his brain is not processing his words, and that was the first thing that came to mind when Wakatoshi spoke to him.

"You are impossibly pale. Besides, I have seen many people die like this. So I know."

Tooru holds his breath. Well, he didn't expect an answer like this - or an answer at all - though he really should have. Surprisingly, he doesn't like the sound of it and the realization that he doesn't have much of a choice sinks even deeper.

"I need you to remove your shirt," Wakatoshi tells him, standing in front of him and Tooru finally has the chance to see what he looks like. There is not much difference in their heights, but Wakatoshi is much more muscular, with broader shoulders than his, strong arms and legs. His hair is neatly trimmed, of a dark brown color and it suits his face, with its strong jaw and aquiline nose. But what strikes him the most are his eyes, with their sharp look and bright gold color. He had seen it right the first time.

The sharp look he receives in return makes him swallow all the saliva he had in his mouth until now.

"I can't feel my shoulder," he confesses to him, eventually.

Wakatoshi nods and takes a step closer to him. "I apologize in advance," he says and before Tooru can ask for explanation, those large hands are pushing off the large cloak and then taking a hold of his shirt and pulling. He tears it in two with just a few twists of his wrist and lets it fall onto the rocks, exposing Tooru's torso, pale skin stained with all kinds of dark colors.

Gold eyes immediately move to see the open wound on his abdomen and his lips press in a thin line. Tooru doesn't dare to look down. His hands instead go to his pants and he moves them past his hips to let them fall down his legs.

His right knee is swollen, the skin bright red – _that_ Tooru dares to look at. And it is not a good sight.

But, he finds out, Wakatoshi's eyes aren't focused on that. Instead, they seem glued on Tooru's marked thighs and what is left of Suguru's activities before he managed to escape. The crusted cum on his thighs is making his skin sticky and Tooru feels embarrassment taking over him slowly. He looks away after kicking off his shoes.

Wakatoshi apologizes for staring and then proceeds to help him to sit down, before rushing to one of the boxes Tooru saw earlier and bringing it next to him.

The former prisoner finds out that it contains all kind of medical items. There are lots of creams and bottles of ointment, and bandages as well.

"I need to clean you up first, to prevent infections," Wakatoshi explains as he takes a hold of a clean cloth. Tooru just nods absentmindedly, not really caring anymore. His strength is leaving him once again and he feels sick with himself and his own body, though it is not really his fault.

When the warm, damp cloth comes in contact with his skin, his muscles immediately start to spasm. The open wound burns and stings and he lets out a groan, but forces every cell of his body to stay still as Wakatoshi wipes it clean. Hazel eyes are lost in the movements of the man, until he calls his name, breaking their attention.

"Yes?"

"Put your clothes behind yourself and lie down."

Tooru does so without complaining, lying on his back and exhaling a broken breath as the flexing of his abdomen shoots another twinge all over him. Wakatoshi shifts until he is sitting at his side, and he grabs now one of the smaller containers, which reveals to be holding a cream as soon as it is opened.

"I will have to patch it up now, then burn the skin to prevent infections," Wakatoshi tells him and Tooru swallows, the anxiety devouring him slowly, because he heard many soldiers of Suguru's being healed like that, though most of them died anyway.

Wakatoshi turns around and looks at the dragon, who is now lying on top of its treasure. He speaks in the foreign language again and the beast turns its heat towards a pile of wood in the most distant corner, spitting fire. But it is not the same amount it was on that field.

Tooru watches it spread on every flammable item in the zone.

He says nothing.

"This will be painful," Wakatoshi warns then, and Tooru already knows. His words don't make the expectation easier to bear. "Would you like a cloth to bite?"

"No," Tooru mutters and closes his eyes.

Wakatoshi has already prepared the needle and the thread and has put a hand next to the open wound. "Alright."

As expected, Tooru's voice comes out in a scream when Wakatoshi pierces this skin with the needle for the first time. He screams, because Wakatoshi is careful, but not gentle. He doesn't lose time with reassuring words and sweet promises as Alisa used to, the few times when she has to simply disinfect his wounds.

Tooru had enough to endure in these last years, both physical pain and psychological pain and at some point, after twenty soldiers raped him when he first tried to escape, he though there would be nothing that could hurt him more than that did.

He was wrong.

Every pierce of the needle makes his body shake violently, his sight blur, but Wakatoshi's free hand is pressing against his chest, holding him down against his clothes, so only his arms and legs are moving. His right hand is gripping onto Wakatoshi's wrist, his short nails digging into exposed tanned skin.

"Pl-please! Stop... Please stop!" Tooru begs, eyes wide and blown out, his brain not even processing what he is saying.

Wakatoshi keeps going. "You will bleed out if I don't close the wound,"

"Then let me d-," Tooru whispers, his voice cut off by another scream.

"There are two stitches left now."

It is over quickly, but to Tooru it feels like an eternity, and once Wakatoshi ties the thread into a small knot to make sure it won't open, he pulls away. Tooru falls back, his breathing erratic, broken by sobs. His eyes are burning and he can feel hot tears running freely down his cheeks. His throat hurts and all he wants to do is doze off. Why couldn't he faint? Why couldn't he lose consciousness and avoid all of this?

"I have to cauterize it now."

Tooru stops breathing.

Wakatoshi stands up and walks to the burning fire and Tooru sees him pulling out a knife from it. He doesn't burn himself, Tooru notices, despite the fact that he is standing there, with flames dancing all around him.

He comes back and Tooru finally decides to take a hold of his torn shirt and he puts it in his mouth, biting hard – his jaw is trembling.

The metal against his abdomen makes him cry even harder, his eyes tearing up even more and his body starts to convulse from the inflicted shock and it continues even when the blade is away from him.

Wakatoshi's free hand moves from his chest to his hair, his thumb gently brushing over his forehead to remove long bangs from his face. He gives him a moment to collect himself, but the shaking doesn't stop, so he helps him to sit up, and Tooru's skin feels horrible, so he leans on the man's arm for support, because he needs it even though he has nowhere to fall.

"P-please... No more."

Wakatoshi adjusts him against himself, turning him around carefully until he is facing his back. "I still have to take care of the other wound."

"N-no," Tooru says, shaking his head.

He can't feel his shoulder, and he knows he needs to stop the bleeding as soon as possible, before an infection pops up and damages it beyond repair.

"The wound does not require stitches. It will hurt only for a moment."

Tooru grits his teeth. The damp cloth cleans his wound, wiping the blood flowing down his back and Tooru sees it then flying over his shoulder and into the water, before Wakatoshi stands up, goes to heat up the knife again and returns, just like before.

When he presses it against Tooru's shoulder, the latter screams again, but this time, he forces himself not to move. This time too, he is left breathless and trembling. But when the knife is thrown away after being used, he feels relief, because it is _over_.

Tooru's lungs fill themselves with air now, properly, and he is fine, more or less. Wakatoshi sits next to him, washing the cloth in the clear, warm water, and then he proceeds to clean the rest of Tooru's skin. He begins from his nape and moves down to his shoulders and collarbones, gently rubbing against his bruised skin. He then lowers down his spine, all the way to his lower back and then cleans carefully the flesh covering Tooru's ribs.

As the sweat is wiped away, some small cuts emerge, along with hematomas of various sizes, from the one of a fist to one of a fingertip.

Tooru lets the pleasing sensation take over him, and he lets his arms fall to the sides, resting his hands against the smooth surface underneath him.

"Your back is clean," Wakatoshi lets him know before he moves in front of him, and they are facing each other all over again, Tooru losing himself in gold, allowing it to hypnotize him.

He gasps, only because of the surprise, when the warm cloth comes in contact with his tearful face. Wakatoshi gently wipes down his cheeks, his split bottom lip, but he uses his free hand to touch his skin, to feel the damage under callused fingertips.

Tooru tenses when those fingers arrive to his nipples, covered in bite marks and fingerprints, and caress them gently, brushing over sensitive skin without applying pressure. Tooru holds his breath as Wakatoshi touches him – he doesn't remember the last time he was touched this way -, his gold eyes following his own fingers. And then he is cleaning there too, and Tooru shivers.

He lowers to his abdomen, but before he is able to reach even further, Tooru blocks his wrist.

"I... I'd rather clean myself on my own now," he stutters, not even recognizing his own voice until Wakatoshi tilts his head to the side, giving him a confused look. But Tooru insists, biting his lip. His eyes still stare at the stains of cum on his thighs and he needs to wipe it off himself. Now.

"Alright," Wakatoshi says and hands him the cloth.

Tooru thanks him. "Can... Can I sit _in_ the water?"

Wakatoshi blinks. "I am afraid it is hot for you."

Tooru raises an eyebrow – Wakatoshi had managed to put his hands in just fine. He moves forward and does the same. It is warm, but not as hot as Wakatoshi describes it. It feels like a hot spring, sure, and he wouldn't bathe in it all day long, but ten minutes just to clean himself up... That he could manage just fine.

"I don't-"

"Your knee."

Tooru raises an eyebrow.

"I meant it would not be good for your knee. It is inflamed and should not be put in warm water. But if you really wish to, I will help you to go in."

Tooru understands then, and nods. "Just a few minutes. I need just a few minutes."

Wakatoshi stands up, wrapping his arms around Tooru's frame and raising him up like before. This time, he makes him stand on his feet. "Watch where you stand. The rocks are quite slippery, I'm afraid." Wakatoshi's warnings are rather endearing, and Tooru listens to them. He takes slow steps and holds onto Wakatoshi's hand as he climbs down the few stair-like stones to get in.

The warmth enveloping his muscles is pure bliss. He barely resists the urge to let himself fall forward, until he dives in, but he knows that in his condition he is not capable of swimming, or even stay afloat. So he forces his thoughts away and focuses on his balance. It is hard to keep it. His right leg throbs in pain whenever he puts even the smallest amount of weight on it.

"You can sit there," Wakatoshi tells him, pointing at a spot on the rocks. "The water should not reach your abdomen. You must be careful with the stitches."

Tooru nods and sits down, letting out a heavy breath.

Wakatoshi is behind him in less than a second, with another cloth in his hands. Tooru turns around to look at him and his eyes widen when he finds the damp cloth pressing against his hair. Wakatoshi clutches it, letting the water fall onto him.  
Tooru's eyes close and he sighs, adjusting himself in a proper position so he can let him do whatever he wants.

Wakatoshi washes his hair of the sweat and leaves, while Tooru proceeds to scrub his thighs clean, making sure not to leave any part of skin between them untouched. Wakatoshi takes out a bottle from the large box he has next to himself and he pours the content on his hands.

"What is it?" Tooru asks quietly, but Wakatoshi doesn't answer and instead proceeds to spread it over Tooru's hair, gently rubbing his scalp and making sure he is wholly coated.

Tooru lets him without expecting an answer.

His eyes now move to the dragon, who is peacefully lying on top of its treasure, its red eyes staring at him without blinking.

Tooru feels intimidated.

It wouldn't be normal not to feel that way. Tooru can finally appreciate its figure: the strong wings, the giant head, those dark, shiny scales...

Another amount of warmth pouring over his head makes Tooru blink, distracting him from his admiring. Wakatoshi washes away the ointment carefully, and it completely melts in the water. Tooru watches it disappear, wordlessly, along with all the dirt that was covering him.

"You ought to come out now. Your knee must be treated properly before it worsens."

Tooru doesn't even replay, because Wakatoshi is already pulling him out by hooking his arms under Tooru's and raising him up without a trace of fatigue, despite being on his knees. He stands up then, walking close to the dragon's treasure, where another case is. He pulls out a large, white towel and brings it to Tooru, wrapping it around his shoulders. Then, he pulls out some bandages from the previous box and hands them to him.

Tooru watches Wakatoshi kneel in front of him and lets him help to get dry and then proceed to carefully wrap bandages around his chest and shoulders, to cover the first painful wound. "It is to help you sleep."

The fabric is fresh and smells like cleanliness and Tooru just stills and follows his instructions on how to move when needed. The thought of sleeping is appealing – he hopes he won't feel too much pain, because he craves rest more than anything else.

There is a long moment of silence before Tooru finally dares to speak again. It happens after a lot of thoughts and considerations, but it is needed. Tooru needs to know.

"Why did you save me?" he finally asks.

Wakatoshi stops with his movements, his eyes lost in a spot of Tooru's shoulder. Tooru follows his gaze to check if there is something wrong, but finds nothing. Wakatoshi must be thinking, or choosing his words perhaps. But what is there to think about? He should know why he risked his life to save someone he never met before.

"You needed to be saved," the man replies eventually.

And Tooru's breath hitches in his throat. "But... You don't even know me!"

Gold eyes meet hazel. "I do not believe it is relevant. You would not have survived against an army on your own."

After fixing the bandages around his chest and making sure they won't fall even when Tooru moves in his sleep later, he proceeds to wrap his abdomen as well, and Tooru finds himself hissing, because it is more than uncomfortable. The warmth from before has increased his sensibility and he is feeling it more than ever.

"They will not find you here."

Tooru chuckles. Suguru will most likely look for him, even if it meant going to the edge of the world. He was a valuable prisoner – _and_ his favorite toy - and there is no way he will let him escape so easily. Satori will obey his every wish, no matter what it takes.

It is only a matter of time.

"And how do you know that?"

Wakatoshi's lips curve up ever so slightly. "Because we are hundreds of miles away from Nohebi."

Tooru holds his breath. "Where are we?"

"Shiratorizawa."

Tooru's jaw drops.

 _Oh._

He's heard tales about a kingdom where winter never comes, when nature is at its fullest strength and development, where animals of all kinds live... He's heard about castles made of rocks and trees, fortresses no army could ever destroy, and dragons who protect it all...

But he thought they were all legends.

And yet, that legendary beast is there, in this very cave, with them, lying on its treasure elegantly, observing his every move.

Tooru takes a mental note not to believe what his books say too much. They were obviously very wrong.

Wakatoshi's hand comes in contact with his swollen knee then, and Tooru yelps, his instinct making him pull his leg towards himself, but as he bends it, he regrets it and immediately straightens it again, though the throbbing doesn't stop. Wakatoshi takes a hold of his calf, holding him still until he calms down.

He proceeds to bandage him carefully, making sure the bandages are tight enough to support him, to hold the articulation still. Tooru bites his lip for the whole time, and when finally that too is over, he lets himself collapse on his back, exhausted.

He needs to sleep.

His eyes travel to the crater and he sees that night has already fallen on them and his eyelids are getting heavy. He won't last long at this point.

"You should not sleep here," Wakatoshi tells him, and although he agrees that the rocky surface underneath him isn't exactly the most comfortable of places, his cell was worse. So he doesn't mind - he can handle it for a night. Besides...

"I can't move."

He hears a quiet sigh and then there are arms all over him for the umpteenth time that day, and they carry him to a hollow in the rocky wall, where Tooru finds fur of every kind of animal, probably the result of many successful hunting trips.

It looks like heaven to the wounded man and he sobs quietly, only once, as he realizes he will be sleeping in a warm bed for the first time in ages.

Wakatoshi lays him down gently and then covers him properly, without bothering to offer Tooru some clothes to put on. When Tooru wants to ask, Wakatoshi explains it to him before he even manages to let out a sound. "Your wounds need to breathe. They will heal faster that way," he explains, and, frankly, Tooru doesn't care at all. Wakatoshi takes a hold of a glass and a jar, filled with cold water. He grabs another small bottle next to it and pours a few drops of the content in it. Tooru raises an eyebrow.

"It is mandrake. It will help you sleep by dulling the pain," Wakatoshi says before he offers the beverage to Tooru, who drinks it eagerly, motivated by the promise of a peaceful sleep. He lies down then, sighing when his head comes in contact with soft fabric.

Hazel eyes look for Wakatoshi and find him there, just looking at him.

And he can't help it.

" _Thank you._ "

Wakatoshi offers him a slight curve of his lips and he pulls the covers up to his chin.

"I shall prepare you some food when you wake up," he announces and Tooru can't wait.

His wounds hurt, but he doesn't have any more strength left to submit himself to the pain. Besides, it is only a matter of time, so he closes his eyes and exhales, lets the sleep overcome him.


End file.
